Together We Rise
by Kurai-Tenshi-015
Summary: "There will always be fear…" Another unlikely candidate has been chosen to become a Guardian, but her center remains unknown. As Pitch prepares for the ultimate revenge, the March Hare must connect to her forgotten past and face her own fears if she is to help the Guardians destroy the Boogeyman once and for all. BunnyxOC
1. fear reborn

**Author's Note: **Welcome old and new friends! This one is another BunnyxOC, but I'll be delving back into the "romance with adventure" category rather than "completely smutty romance." It's also exciting because this is the first time the OC will be another Pooka. Anyway, thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable from Rise of the Guardians.

Chapter 1:

A dark form hovers behind a corner as two teenagers walk past it, their eyes wide and their breathing heavy. They are covered in scratches and bruises from their attempts to escape the energy following them, and the boy immediately grabs the girl's arm to make her hurry.

"I think the door is over there." He says, and they both run toward it just as a terrifying inhuman screech sounds from behind them. The girl looks over her shoulder and screams, shoving her boyfriend ahead as his hands furiously shake the doorknob. When he gets it open, they stare down at the treacherous staircase that leads to a basement, the light from the hallway ending several steps down into total darkness. The boy looks toward her, his expression apprehensive, and she just nods and yells at him to go. He listens and runs down the first few steps with her hot on his heels, pulling the door closed and taking away their final bit of sight.

"No, no, no! Don't go in there!" Caleb yells at the television, his hand full of popcorn halfway up to his mouth. His friends turn around angrily, shushing him once again for his outburst. Their annoyed expressions make him shrink back into the couch, and they shake their heads before turning their attention back to the movie.

The teens are scattered around Jamie's living room with various junk foods littering the carpet. His parents had allowed him to finally have the others over while they weren't there, breaking through the "too-young" boundary. Pippa and Cupcake had decided not to join them, but the boys were enjoying the ability to watch a terrifying horror movie without adult supervision.

The four of them continue to sit in the dark, staring at the screen as the two characters become even more lost in the haunted building they had been foolish enough to enter. The couple begin to feel that something is wrong, and then suddenly there is a flash of lightning just as they are attacked by some kind of grotesque corpse. The boys jump at the sudden movement and scream, Monty practically beating Claude in his intense reaction, and Jamie cringes at the mess they create as the bowls of food get knocked over.

"I told you not to go in there!" Caleb yells, and is once again shushed.

"Shut up, man!"

"We can't hear!"

"Oh, like you're even listening? You're too busy pissing your pants!"

"There's nothing to hear! They're just screaming!"

"I am _not _pissing my-"

"_Shut up!" _They all cut off the argument when their attention is once again stolen as the evil corpse begins to devour one of the characters, now completely unrecognizable in a sea of blood and brain matter. "Was that the girl?"

"No, I think that was the guy." Jamie sighs in annoyance and glares at Monty, who just shrugs.

"Does it really matter? They're dead anyway." The camera pans over the leftover carcass of the unfortunate character, and all four of them cringe.

"Can we watch something else?" Monty asks, bringing about a round of forced laughter. None would admit that they were getting scared by a simple horror film, but they are silently thanking the youngest of them for speaking up. Jamie just sighs and gets up to change the movie, but in the darkness of the room he has trouble finding the proper buttons.

"Can someone hit the lights?" He asks, gesturing toward the wall, and hears someone leave the couch to do so. There is a click as the light is switched on and Jamie smiles as he reaches for the eject button, only to jump and let out a yelp when the lights suddenly pop and the room is once again bathed in darkness.

No one says anything for a few moments, and then there is uncomfortable shifting on the floor and couch before Caleb tries to flick on the light again without success. Jamie turns around to try to find him and the moonlight filters in through the window, casting an eerie blue glow on the now frightened teenagers.

"What happened?"

"The light bulb is probably just burned out." Jamie answers Monty's quivering voice, and he carefully steps around the mess they had made to confirm his guess. He sighs and walks over to the closet, grabbing the flashlight they kept there for times such as this. However, as soon as he turns it on, it goes out as well, making them all yell in surprise and lurch away from it.

"This isn't funny anymore." Claude mutters, his tone echoing all of their thoughts; that something was not right.

"I told you we shouldn't have watched that stupid movie. It's freaked us all out." Monty says, but at that moment no one has the breath to respond, blinking with difficulty as they try to adjust to the darkness, and they slowly rise to stand.

"What was that?" Caleb asks softly, and Jamie glares at him as best he can.

"That's not funny, dude. Knock it off."

"No, I'm not kidding. I heard something." He turns toward the staircase and takes a step toward it, his arm raising to point frantically as a shadow moves on the landing. "There! See it?" His friends take in his frightened tone and hesitantly move behind him, looking up to the stairs for the entity he speaks of, but there is nothing. "I'm telling you, I saw something!"

"What?"

"I don't know." Meanwhile Jamie attempts to get the flashlight to work, hitting it against his palm, and the light begins to flicker, creating even more shadows on the walls. However, Caleb frowns when his friend fails in recreating the forms he had seen, and he tries to figure out if they were real, or if his imagination really was just running wild. He peeks down the hallway again, and then gasps when there is more movement beyond the staircase. "There!"

Before the others can stop him, he is running toward the mysterious figure, ignoring their warnings to stay away from whatever it was. Jamie follows him, directing the now working flashlight ahead. Still, he has to steady his hand as they approach the landing where the energy in the house was much more tense, the four boys' eyes darting around them to search for the intruder.

"What did it look like?"

"Just a shadow. But-" He's cut off by someone's scream when the television turns on behind them, and the previous movie plays without their interference, sending a round of chills down all of their spines. The malevolent entity continues to kill on the screen, and suddenly they aren't so ready to inspect the shadows lingering around the house. It only takes one more dark form passing through their field of vision and a loud thump on the wall next to them, and then they are practically scrambling over each other to get to the front door, shouting expletives as the television flickers before shutting off only to come back on with even louder volume, the shrieks of terror on the screen heightening the boys' own fear.

"Go!"

"Get out!"

"Move!"

Jamie gasps for breath as he throws the door shut, barely masking the sounds of the television, and presses his palms against it as if to keep whatever was inside of his house, in and away from them.

"What was that?"

"I don't know!"

"It was a ghost, what else?"

"No, my house isn't haunted." Jamie manages to get out, but the others stare at him incredulously.

"Well there was _something _in there. And I sure as hell am not going back inside!" Claude yells, gesturing wildly to the window, and all of them warily look into the living room where the television is now off and silent. But the lights are still out, bathing the room in darkness and not allowing them to see if anything indeed is still lingering.

"We can't stay out here all night." Monty mumbles and wraps his arms around himself, bringing their attention to the fact that though the temperature had been fairly high that day, it had lowered significantly along with the sun.

"I don't care if it's cold. We're not going back in there." Jamie says, shaking his head. Never had he considered the fact that his house could be haunted, but there was no denying that something had happened, and there could very well be something still hiding. Whether or not it was dangerous was unknown, but he wasn't ready to find out, especially with his friends nearby. "We'll just stay out here until my parents get home."

When the car finally pulls up a few hours later and the two adults step out, it is quite a surprise when they see the four teenagers sitting on the steps leading up to the door, all of their expressions tense. They perk up at seeing Jamie's parents though, and immediately stand, all of their voices reaching out at once.

"Whoa, slow down." His mother stops them and glances at the house, obviously wondering what had happened that they were all so upset. "What did you guys break?" That makes them pause, and then they are looking at her in confusion. "If you broke something then it's better to just tell me now-"

"No, we didn't break anything." Jamie interrupts her, and runs a hand over his face as he tries to figure out where to start. "We just… there was…"

"There's a ghost in the house." Caleb blurts out, and the silence that reigns afterward is quickly met with a startled laugh.

"A ghost?" Jamie's dad chimes in, grinning at them as if it's a joke. However, once he sees how shaken they are, and notices that they had left the house without even their shoes, his grin turns into a frown. "What do you mean, there's a ghost?"

"We were watching the movie and the lights went out, and then the flashlight didn't work either, and we saw something moving around, and the television turned off and on by itself-"

"Okay, stop." His mother's sharp tone catches Jamie off guard, and he stops talking to look up at her with begging eyes.

"I'm not lying, there really was-"

"Let's just go take a look, alright?" His father walks past the group and turns the doorknob, wasting no time in entering the house and glancing around the living room. His wife follows, and makes a frustrated sound when she nearly trips over a bowl of deserted potato chips, the snacks crunching beneath her heels.

"This place is a mess."

"We ran out so fast, we must have knocked some stuff over." Jamie mutters apologetically. He and his friends enter the house carefully, still on edge from the unexplainable events, and then his mother's hand reaches for the light switch. "It's broken…" His voice trails off when she flicks it upward, lighting up the room and making them wince. The older woman turns around to glare slightly at him, and then nods at the light.

"It was in the off position." She explains, and then continues to look around the disheveled room. Jamie shakes his head and looks to Caleb for back up. He frowns as well and looks to the light switch, completely sure he had tried to turn it back on, and had left it in the on position before they had escaped outside. There was no reason that it should have been switched back. It makes them both shudder and look toward Jamie's father, who continues to look around the room, and then glance up the stairs, shrugging.

"There's nothing here." He says, and Jamie's mother sighs, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You all just probably got scared from those movies you watch-"

"No, there really was something here." He says firmly, glaring at his parents. They glance at each other with that knowing look, and he sighs, sensing that they wouldn't believe him no matter what he said. It didn't help that the movie was still in the player, enhancing their guess that the horror film was just too much for the teenagers to take. It was the first time they were trusted enough to hang out alone, and it was obvious that they wouldn't get another chance. "Mom-"

"I think it's time that everyone went home." She cuts him off softly, and he fumes silently as his friends begin to pick up their sleeping bags and get ready to leave.

"I'll drive them home." She mutters a thank you to her husband and gestures for Jamie to help her clean up the food ground into the carpet. They remain silent until everyone else has left and the door closes before Jamie speaks up again.

"Mom, I know it sounds crazy but-"

"I don't want to hear it, Jamie." She says, shaking her head, and leaves him briefly to grab a trash bag. "I trusted you to make good decisions tonight, and you obviously can't handle that yet." He doesn't say anything in reply, knowing it would be no use. "I don't want you watching any more of those movies, do you understand me?" _I'm not a child anymore. _He wants so badly to scream the words at her, but he just nods, not quite wanting to relive the fear the movies had caused anyway. But that wasn't the point.

If he were being honest with himself, he didn't even want to be in the house anymore. What had happened to them was real, and not knowing what had caused it was keeping him on edge, looking around every corner and jumping at every sound. Even through dinner he finds himself unable to eat, and it takes everything within him to make his way down the dark hallway to his bedroom when the rest of his family retires for the night.

He doesn't tell Sophie about what had happened, afraid of scaring her too. She always believed everything he told her, and there was no reason to have their parents accusing him of trying to start trouble. Still, Jamie stares at the ceiling as he tries to fall asleep, his fingers clutching the sheets when a tree branch scratches against his window. The eerie sound makes him tense, and every now and then visions of monsters and malevolent shadows force themselves into his mind until he is wide awake, waiting for a sign that he is not alone.

xxRISExx

He can't help but laugh, the irony is so great.

Pitch had no doubt that the Guardians were positive they had seen the last of him that night he disappeared at the hands of his night mares. However, they had made the mistake of assuming that the creatures would really turn against their master. As soon as that hole had filled and his screams had been cut off, he promised himself that he would find a way to return, and to get rid of the Guardians for good.

His yellow eyes gaze down at the unsuspecting city, the lingering trails of golden sand making him smirk. _A good job as always, Sandman. But this time your sweet dreams won't be enough to defeat me. _The shadows allow him to move silently between the buildings, the low growling behind him comforting even as anticipation makes his hands shake.

It was amazing how much had changed since their last showdown. The heroes' work had sustained the positive energy that allowed the world to continue on, but even as the children grew up, the negative energy continued to thrive below the ground where he harbored his hatred and desire for the ultimate revenge. And even though he was forced to endure even more solitary confinement after so many years, the night he wakes up to the sensation of dread, it seems to call to him, drawing him toward its source.

The instant he realized it was the same children, he wanted nothing more than to make them suffer as he had. It was easy enough to scare them, putting out the lights and messing with the television to make them believe there was something there in the house with them. Still, it wasn't quite enough. Even the scorn they received from the adults wasn't enough to make up for the pain and anger in his heart.

Pitch steps into the bedroom slowly, glaring down at the form in the bed as they breathe deeply. Jamie remains asleep, the sand drifting away with just the boogeyman's presence nearby, and that's what causes the dark man to turn and grit his teeth, waving a hand in front of him as his own sand comes forth. It curls and glides, forming a figure similar to the mares that had become his only solace in his loneliness, and then it changes, lurching and emitting a fierce growl.

Jamie's body flinches and his brow furrows in his sleep as if sensing the change in the atmosphere, and the figure crowds next to the bed, rising up and becoming even larger, its hooves pounding on the floor with enough strength to make the nearby furniture tremble.

Pitch watches the figure snort and continue to stomp, the muscular animal body unsettled while the human torso twists in irritation. The monstrous centaur rears up before leering down at Jamie, and Pitch smiles before gesturing toward the teenager with obvious glee.

"Do your worst." With those few words, the centaur reaches down with a brawny hand, latching onto Jamie's head and squeezing maliciously. Instantly the boy begins to convulse, letting out subdued sounds and whimpering. His feet kick out and his hands flail, but the creature just holds on tightly as it fills Jamie's mind with the terrifying illusions of pain and torture, thriving off of the residual fear from their night of horror. Pitch just continues to laugh as the fear takes over him, and when the boy finally can't take anymore and wakes up, it is to an empty room.

Jamie lets out another cry and gasps for air, bringing his hands up to his damp hair as he tries to forget the dream that had taken over his entire being. It seemed so real, and he gingerly moves his lead-like limbs, feeling his heart pound in his chest. He glances over at his door, wondering if his noises and thrashing had woken his family. A part of him wishes that it had, and that his mother would rush in as she did when he was younger, asking him if he was alright, but then he remembers that now he's older, and those times were over.

He closes his eyes and gasps when the images reappear, and a sob builds up in his throat as he begs the panic to dissipate, just wanting to go back to sleep. But no matter how hard he tries, it remains, haunting him, and he can't shake the feeling that whatever had caused it was still lingering… and waiting to strike again.

xxRISExx

**Author's Note: **Ugh! I feel like I'm going crazy here. I went through a good week and a half of writer's block, which hardly ever happens to me! I couldn't write anything! Not even a single sentence! So frustrating! Thankfully the stress from finals is gone and I seem to have gotten my stride back, knock on wood.

Anyway, I've missed posting and hearing from you all, so I hope this is an okay first chapter. It feels weird not to update often, so I promise that once I'm far enough ahead in the writing process to edit to near perfection, I will be updating regularly on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. As always, this story is completely outlined, so don't worry about it being abandoned. Writer's block will not keep me down! Thanks again for reading! Review please!


	2. the aftermath

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

**Georgia Claw: **So glad you're back! That's my reaction when I see reviews in my own e-mail!

**Levi: **Hopefully it's successful.

**Edam Aster Bunnymund: **Thanks!

**labratgwenpiper: **Yep... Pitch has returned and he is pissed.

Chapter 2:

"Jamie, wake up! You're going to be late for school!"

He just groans in response and remains still, the dread of the oncoming day making him more eager to continue sleeping. The drowsiness lingering in his mind works against the persistent voice of his mother, but eventually she walks into his room and opens the curtains on his window, making him cover his face.

"Mom." His whine earns no sympathy as she smiles at the bright sunshine, and she swats his shoulder.

"Come on, up. Breakfast is ready and your sister is already ahead of you." He just groans again and turns around, mumbling about how he didn't sleep well. "Maybe you shouldn't have been up on the phone all night, hm?" With that, his mother makes her way out of the room and asks Sophie if she has found her backpack yet. Jamie sighs and pushes himself up, running a hand through his hair. He drags himself out of bed and begins getting ready, wishing for Summer even though they had just begun to move into the typical Winter weather.

By the time his teeth are brushed and he is dressed, Sophie is organizing all of her school supplies, chatting about her new classes and how many of her friends she'll be able to sit with at lunch.

"And what about you, Jamie? What are your classes?"

"I dunno." He answers with a shrug, sitting down at the kitchen table. He immediately reaches for the bowl of eggs as his mother rolls her eyes.

"You haven't even _looked _at your schedule yet?"

"It's no big deal. I know where all of the classrooms are, anyway."

"Yes, but…" She just shakes her head and sighs, turning around to finish making coffee. She mumbles something about teenaged boys under her breath and Jamie just continues eating his breakfast, hoping that his friends were in some of his classes. There was no way he would get through them if they weren't. Even as sophomores, they were already looking forward to the end of high school. It was bad enough that their parents continued to treat them like children, although they had done nothing since that horrible night to prompt it.

He shivers slightly and glances up at his mother to see if she noticed. She doesn't, and it makes him wonder if he'll ever be able to tell her about what he experienced that night in his room. He would gladly watch that terrifying movie over and over, so long as he didn't have to remember the horrifying claustrophobic sensation that followed. Jamie still didn't know what to make of it, and the longer he thought about it, the more he wanted it to disappear from his memory.

Neither he nor his friends had brought up their little adventure, as none of them wanted to relive it. Thankfully there had been no other strange occurrences in the following months, but Jamie still hadn't gotten his friends to stay over after the sun set. It was always early in the day or just before dusk, and though he teased them multiple times about their hasty escapes, he couldn't really blame them. If only they knew what happened _after_ that stupid movie, they wouldn't even step one foot into the house at all. It may have been selfish not to protect them from whatever had assaulted him, but the most frightening thing about all of it was the possibility of being alone.

Jamie eats in silence, listening to his sister and mother talk without expecting him to join in, and when he finishes he and Sophie leave for school, walking out into the snow and looking up at the still falling flakes.

"Jack made them really pretty today." She says with a smile, reaching up to catch one in her palm and inspect its unique shape as it melts.

"Yeah." He mumbles in response, and quietly enjoys the crisp air on his face as they make their way down the sidewalk. The snow really is beautiful, as it hadn't had the chance to become stained by oil and pollution, still bright and fluffy resting on the trees.

Wherever Jack was at that moment, it was clear that he was doing a good job, and Jamie wonders when he will get another visit from the Winter sprite. He always guaranteed a few snow days for his favorite kids, and as always Jamie wanted to cash in on them early. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that the response would be as it always was; that he would see what he could do.

xxRISExx

"15 inches in Washington… 24 in Michigan… 12 in Idaho… New York… 115 inches… sheesh." March's pen scratches the notepad as she makes a note to tamp down the snowfall for New York that year. Soft flurries cover her fur, making her smile as she walks across the dormant ground. It is solid beneath her feet, hinting at the cold temperatures they had had, but not quite frozen yet. It was a slow beginning to the season, but she had no doubt they would catch up quickly, if Jack Frost's enthusiasm was anything to judge by.

She shakes her head in amusement as she considers their last conversation; him asking for less restrictions and her response of setting more. It really wasn't entirely her fault. After all, there were several heads higher than her that made the final decisions, one of which who happened to be her best friend, but that was beside the point. She could only do so much, and so she had been forced to send him back with the slightly depressing news that there will be no more snow days for a while.

With that thought, she pauses and scribbles some ideas on her notepad, considering a compromise, but then hums to herself solemnly when she realizes that it still may not work. _Maybe Hogs will have an idea._ She smiles again and shifts the belt around her waist, tucking her pad into it along with her pen in the small pocket, and takes off at a fast run, her grin widening as the wind ruffles her fur, her paws and feet beating against the ground in a quick rhythm that no one would ever hear.

She brushes off the thought and focuses on the adrenaline that runs through her veins as she makes her way to her best friend's home. When she finally reaches the small hollow, she knocks lightly on the boulder covering it, and waits patiently as she listens to the anxious voice beneath the ground.

"March? Is that you?" He squeaks out.

"Yes." _Who else would it be?_

The groundhog grunts before tilting the rock on its side, glancing up cautiously out of the hole but not making a move to come out.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to discuss the snowfall with you. Frost is getting antsy."

"Oh." The reply is not particularly happy, and then the groundhog motions for her to go ahead. "Do you want to come in?"

"No, thank you." She says, as always, and just takes a seat on the grass and retrieves her notes, pointing to the spot on the paper holding the stats for the last two years. "So last year was a heavy accumulation year. We reached records in almost all of the states and many different countries. The year before that was high as well, so I think we should tamp down on the snow for this year."

"But what about the water sources?"

"I think we can still make do with a minimal amount." She waits for his assessment though, keeping her face passive. In the end, he nods, and she returns it, moving on. "Also, I've compiled a list of possible season fluctuations."

"Of course." At this, the groundhog wrings his paws together and frowns, and March has to smile. This was what he really hated to talk about; when Spring should begin. "I'm not so sure yet."

"Last year was quite early."

"Yes." And they hadn't heard the end of it. "But he won't be pleased if we make it late this year either."

"He's never pleased." March says shortly, not even bothering to get into this topic. It always managed to bring the schedule keepers down, and it didn't really matter what the Easter Bunny wanted anyway. They would do what they needed to keep the earth spinning and Mother Nature on track. A foul tempered Guardian was low on their list of priorities. She sighs and continues down her list, taking a mental note of her friend's temperament. He always got nervous around his holiday, but there was something else going on that had him on edge. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She raises an eyebrow and he just sighs with a shrug. "Something just feels… off."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a feeling on the air that's not entirely friendly."

"I'm sure that's just your arch nemesis getting his carrots in a bunch." That makes the groundhog practically guffaw, and March smiles at her accomplishment.

"Well, I'm not sure which way we should go for now, but I'll let you know soon."

"Okay. Thanks, Hogs."

"You're welcome." He turns in his small hole, and then turns back around when she stands to leave. "Are you sure you don't want to come in for some tea or…"

"No, thanks." The tunnel was small, as its occupant at his full height barely reached her knees, but it was a nice thought. And there was just something that told her to stay away from it, though she couldn't put her finger on it. Instead, she waves at him and leaves as he pulls the boulder back over to conceal his home.

March sighs and continues on her way, watching the snow continue to fall in unpredictable flurries, and considers the feeling that Hogs had spoken of. She wouldn't call it unfriendly, but there was definitely a sense of unrest, something that hinted at a huge change to come. But even as the feeling makes her shudder, she attributes it to the impending change of the seasons, and the stress that comes from it for her and her friend.

After all, there was no reason to suspect anything different.

xxRISExx

"Um… I don't know." Jamie frowns as Caleb gives him the same response as the others. He just stays silent as they walk down the hallway to the cafeteria. "It's not that I don't _want _to, it's just-"

"Whatever." Jamie mutters, not wanting to hear the artificial excuse.

"No, look." Caleb grabs his arm and stops his movement, pulling him around a corner away from nosy eyes and ears. They wait until some of the other kids have moved further away from them before Caleb sighs and begins to speak, his eyes not quite reaching Jamie's. "You have to understand… I haven't had a good night's sleep since that night at your house." That makes Jamie sigh as well, and he gives a small nod as he considers his own uneasiness. "I miss our movie nights too, but I just can't do it."

"Yeah…"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Jamie shakes his head and shrugs even though the disappointment hurts more than it should. "You aren't the only one who was freaked out, you know." Still, he doesn't mention the terror that had occurred after they all had left and he was in his room to face his fear alone.

They move away from their deserted corner and continue to make their way to lunch with the rest of their friends, and Jamie can't help but overhear some of the teachers chatting outside of their classrooms several yards away. Usually he wouldn't care at all what they were talking about, but it is the low and alarmed voice of one of the women that makes him pause, causing Caleb to do the same. His friend opens his mouth to question why he stopped, but then closes it when he realizes where Jamie's focus is, and subtly glances in the teachers' direction as well.

"I don't know what to do. It's gotten to the point that it's almost every night!" The brunette frowns as the other brings a hand to her mouth, her eyes becoming shiny as she shares her concerns, and Jamie feels a chill go down his spine at her next words. "All he says is that there's something there with him. Some kind of monster."

"What did the doctor say?"

"That it's all in his head, and that we shouldn't worry." Her tone is disrespectful and disbelieving, and she lets out a derisive snort. "He doesn't seem to understand that whether it's in his head or not, something needs to be done to help him. He won't even sleep anymore, and more than once I've caught him armed with his baseball bat, as if it's going to come after him."

Now her voice becomes softer and less harsh, and she quickly wipes away a tear, trying to put up a tougher front as more teenagers walk past them, and Jamie tries to nonchalantly look down the hallway as if he weren't eavesdropping on a conversation that was clearly not for their ears. Still, he listens, trying to figure out if the same thing that was happening to him was now plaguing one of his teachers' children.

"I wish I could help. I swear, my daughter's going through the same thing. It's not as extreme as insomnia and seeing monsters, but she's just been so uneasy lately. There's not even anything to explain it. I don't allow her to see scary movies, or listen to scary stories, but she still…" She trails off and their eyes meet, and Jamie frowns as he sees the words they are unable to say out loud but are so visible in their expressions; that something is happening beyond their control, something dangerous.

"Jamie?" Caleb asks softly, and he unfreezes, gesturing for them to continue walking, but as they stay silent his mind is spinning with possibilities. _Why would someone else be experiencing the same thing? I know why _I'm _having these nightmares, _he thinks to himself, and runs a hand through his hair. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He wills Caleb not to ask any more on the subject, and thankfully the other boy seems to feel it, pursing his lips but remaining silent for the rest of the walk to the cafeteria.

When they get there, they spend lunch as they always do, talking and laughing, and neither brings up the conversation they'd overheard, nor does Caleb mention Jamie's strange reaction to hearing it. As far as the others know, it is just a normal day, and there isn't something plaguing the subconscious of those around them.

xxRISExx

Deep into the night, many are asleep, taken to the land of dreams within their heads by the one man who can. However, Sandy frowns as he senses more difficulty in his work. It is not merely the children, as he continues to weave the golden sand above their heads. He senses their content and their imaginations running wild, but the problem is more rooted in the adolescents.

He pauses in his weaving and lowers his cloud just below the skyline, drifting in between the sky scrapers and apartment buildings. It is not the wailing sirens from the emergency vehicles, or the barking dogs, or even the noise of happiness coming from the lingering people on the streets, but _something_ causes unrest within the minds of the young people below.

He can feel it within their lack of REM sleep, the accelerated heartbeats that suggest they are not entirely comfortable. Still, it is nothing as simple as a nightmare. Sandy floats next to a window to peek in on a teenaged girl gritting her teeth in her sleep. Her brow is furrowed and her body twitches, her hands moving above her body as if to fight off something invisible.

He immediately reaches out his hand and a tendril of sand makes its way through the glass in front of him toward her, but as always, it doesn't do much. Of course, he knew it wouldn't. His powers rarely worked on those over the age of twelve, but he wants so badly to help that he tries to ignore the disappointment and instead throws another handful of sand her way, hoping to rid her expression of the pain. It doesn't work.

Sandy floats there for another moment and closes his eyes, reaching out to those around him who are lost in sleep. There are so many, so many who are unreachable by his dreams, and it makes his frown deepen. Something is not right.

He opens his eyes and watches his sand disappear, the lack of soft glow sending the city back into darkness. He wonders idly if any of the others are having problems, and considers going to North for help. If there was something keeping him from being able to do his job, then it was important to figure it out, for all of their sakes.

xxRISExx

**Author's Note:** I am so sorry for taking so long to get this out! I hope this makes up for the wait though. I know there's a lot of mystery going on right now, but it will all become clear soon. Review please!


	3. qualifications

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

**MoonKent: **I'm glad you like my writing. Pitch will definitely get more face time. I'm just working on how much exactly and how far to go with him. And no, I can't see Jamie ever forgetting about the Guardians, but if they aren't worried about Pitch coming back, I can see him becoming overly comfortable as well. It seems to me that one of the Guardians' weaknesses is underestimating their enemy.

**Georgia Claw: **Thank you for your patience! That's an interesting idea, although I'm not sure which other spirits would team up with him. I think in this story he'll still be alone with his Night minions, as sad as that is.

Chapter 3:

North smiles encouragingly at a couple of elves despite their failed attempts at placing wheels on a rocking horse. Already a month into the production of the next year's Christmas, there was little chance of them running behind schedule. He begins to wonder though, if he shouldn't at least teach them _something _about making toys, rather than allowing them to continue causing problems around the workshop. Phil makes an aggravated grunt before stumbling around the group of helpless workers, nearly dropping an armful of dolls along the way.

"Be careful, or you'll have to make an entirely new batch!" He's joking, of course, but it still makes the yeti roll his eyes. North continues to walk through the workshop, checking on all of the stations to make sure things are in order, and giving directions when they're not.

After a round, he checks in with another yeti before having his attention drawn by a very unexpected visitor. The golden sand curls through the skylight before materializing into the form of one of his best friends. He instantly smiles as Sandy hops off of his cloud to float in front of him.

"Sandy! What brings you here?" Before the smaller man can answer though, North is grinning and gesturing to some of the finished products. "We've already begun working on next year's haul. Look," he grabs a finished doll and nearly smothers Sandy in his excitement, "they'll all do something different. We have some that will walk, talk, and even some whose hair will grow-" Sandy cuts him off with an annoyed look and waves his small hands frantically, making North pause. He begins to create sand figures above his head; human forms, tendrils of sleeping sand and unhappy faces. North just frowns in confusion and then raises his own hand before putting the doll back. "Come with me."

He leads Sandy to his office and closes the door, his expression suddenly somber. When they are alone he takes a seat and offers one to Sandy, who just shakes his head and wrings his hands together.

"Now what is going on?" Sandy repeats the previous signals, only slower, and North begins to see what he means. "You're having trouble. Perhaps it's just their age. You know, the teenagers are growing up." But Sandy shakes his head and shrugs. It was what he knew as well, but it just didn't make sense how so many would be unrestful. "I don't know what to tell you Sandy. The only other time we had trouble with nightmares was…" He trails off and they both raise their eyes in the direction of the moon, which shines ominously. "No." Instantly they both leave the office and walk to the globe room, North pushing some buttons to make sure everything is fine on the model. All of the lights are pulsing with life, no hint of trouble in the luminosity or the number of children.

Sandy floats upward after a glance at the globe and creates a figure of Pitch above his head with a worried expression.

"I don't think so. If it were Pitch, the lights would be going out. He'd target them first." Still, they watch the map for a few more minutes to make sure nothing shows up. However, the lack of problems also doesn't give them any idea of what is really going on, which leaves them still in the dark. Sandy frowns again and puts a question mark above his head, and when North can't answer him, the moon shines stronger through the window, gaining their attention. "Maybe we _should _call the others. This is Guardian business." North echoes the Moon's instruction and immediately grasps the handle that launches the northern lights, filling the sky with wavy rainbows.

Tooth is the first to show up, her fairies at her shoulders and still muttering addresses, but there is something about her demeanor that instantly has Sandy approaching her.

"Hey, Sandy." Her smile is half-hearted, and then she leans down with purpose. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something. The sleep patterns-"

"That's exactly why we called you, Tooth." North interrupts her, and her eyes widen.

"You've noticed?" He nods, and then looks up when a hole opens in the corner of the room and Bunny hops out, but his expression is annoyed rather than worried. When Jack flies through the skylight and perches on top of his staff, North gestures to Sandy.

"He's had some trouble weaving his dreams and there are more kids having problems sleeping."

"Kids?" Jack asks.

"Well, teenagers."

"I've had trouble leaving teeth because so many of them remain awake at night." Tooth speaks up. "More than a few times my fairies have had to make a three or four trips just to make sure they aren't seen."

"I still don't see why this is a problem. Maybe it's just them drinking too much caffeine." Bunny mumbles, making the others roll their eyes.

"If one of us has trouble, then all of us feel it." North says with a glare, and then looks toward the two working the graveyard shift. "We don't know what's causing it yet, but we don't think it's Pitch."

"Of course it's not. We saw him disappear down in his hole. He won't be back, right?" Jack asks, but no one can answer with an affirmative. They saw him disappear, but there was no other proof that he wouldn't be back. That makes the five of them consider their options, but North still shakes his head.

"He wouldn't face us again, not when he went down so hard the last time."

"But what if it _is _him?" Tooth asks, not wanting their doubt to be their downfall if they are wrong. As one, they raise their chins and look up, and the light moves to the middle of the room as the floor shifts, opening to reveal the blue crystal beneath. "Is anyone else getting a sense of déjà vu?" Thankfully, the small joke lightens the tension a bit, and then Jack grins.

"This is how you guys knew to find me?"

"Yes. This is how Manny chooses us. I do wonder what is happening if he thinks we need someone else now." It doesn't bode well, but when the crystal is fully risen and begins to glow, creating a silhouette, they all stare. "What?" The form solidifies into a humanoid rabbit, and Jack can't help but grin.

"_Her? _And you guys thought _I _was bad." He laughs, and Tooth swats out at him.

"Be nice." She scolds.

"But she's not connected to the children in any way. Why would Manny choose her?" North wonders aloud.

Bunny frowns as he looks up at the figure, the only other person above that who he prayed would not be chosen. It was just as bad though, as she was practically the Groundhog's right hand. _The March Hare. _North's question mirrors his own, and he frowns to himself as he considers that Manny has chosen the only other Pooka in existence to join them.

"We won't know until we talk to her. So… who's going to go get her?"

xxRISExx

March sighs and shakes her head as she looks over a cluster of frozen buds, the only part left of a once beautiful garden. _Such a shame, _she thinks, rolling the dead petals and leaves in her paw. It wasn't that she was upset that winter had come, but she had to admit that seeing the death of beauty was one of her least favorite parts of her job.

"What? You don't like my work?" The voice makes her shoulders hike up defensively and she nearly throws her arms up in the air.

"Jack, I've already told you-"

"I'm not here to ask for another snow day." He interrupts her, and she turns around to face him as his feet touch the ground. Not quite believing him, she just stands there and raises an eyebrow, waiting for him to ask for something else. Strangely enough, he responds by giving her a wide smile and resting his staff over his shoulder. "It's nice to see you. You're looking good. How are you? Work still going well?"

March can't help but smile, the younger boy's enthusiasm is too contagious, and even though she's pretty sure he's making fun of her, the laugh that erupts is completely sincere.

"Is there something I can do for you?" She asks, her ears twitching toward him.

"Actually, there is. You can come to the Pole with me." He says it so casually that she almost misses it, but then his words seem to hit her brain and her eyes widen.

"What?"

"It's like this; we've got some kind of problem going on with the kids and… well, the Man in the Moon has chosen you as a Guardian. Sooo you need to come with me like right now." Jack says a little bit too quickly, and March raises a paw to stop him for a moment.

"Whoa, what?"

"North will explain it to you. Come on, they're still waiting." He reaches out to grab her wrist and she jumps back, shaking her head.

"No, I can't go. I have more work to do."

"It can wait." He finally gets a grip on her paw as she tries to disagree, and then her eyes widen as she expects him to take off into the sky. Fortunately or unfortunately, he merely brings a glass sphere out of his sweatshirt pocket and shakes it.

"What-"

"The Pole." He says, and throws the sparkling globe in front of them. It explodes into hundreds of bright lights and March just barely manages not to scream as both of them are pulled into the vortex.

Jack makes sure to keep holding her up when they land, and she stumbles slightly as their feet reach the carpet in the globe room. But when she can stand on her own, he lets go of her and March is overwhelmed by the sight of all of the Guardians together and staring at her expectantly.

"Thank you for coming." _It's not like I had a choice, _she thinks to herself, and then her eyes catch on something sticking out of the floor behind them. At first glance the crystal is merely beautiful, but the thing that shocks her most is the floating vision of her above it. "As you can see, the Moon has chosen you to become a Guardian." Well that answered her question about Jack playing a joke on her.

"Why?" She asks, turning to a smiling North.

"Something's happening with the children-"

"Yes, Jack mentioned that. But what does that have to do with me?" March asks, moving a little bit closer to the fireplace to warm up.

"Why don't you tell _us?"_ Tooth suggests, shrugging. "He must have chosen you for a reason. What's your center?" At the female Pooka's confused expression, she elaborates. "The thing that makes you, you, and the thing that you bring to the world."

"I'm an organizer." She says without hesitation. "I keep schedules, I take notes, and I help the Groundhog decide when the shifts of the seasons should happen. That's what I do. I've just always had a knack for it." She taps the notepad and pencil at her waist softly, feeling its comforting weight. "So I ask you, why was I chosen to help with the children?" She watches them all share a glance, and can tell they are trying to come up with an explanation. There were rarely times that they challenged the Moon's decisions, but at that moment there was definitely room for some doubt.

"You must have done _something_ to make you worthy of the title. Something that could help us?" Tooth asks, but March just shrugs, nothing coming to mind. For as long as she could remember she had been a task manager. There was just nothing else to her, as boring as that was.

"What about in your village where you grew up?" Bunny speaks up for the first time, and she shakes her head, not quite meeting his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had managed to ask her about her home, but as always it makes her slightly uncomfortable. He's still waiting for a real answer though, so she sighs and turns to him.

"It was so long ago, I don't really remember much." That was true, even if it wasn't the whole truth. Five hundred years was bound to make any memories fuzzy. "But I know who I am and what I'm supposed to do, and this isn't it."

"The Man in the Moon doesn't make mistakes." North says, and Sandy smiles and nods in agreement. "But we learned our lesson about trying to force someone into being a Guardian." Some glances are thrown Jack's way, who just rolls his eyes, and then Tooth moves closer to March with a worried expression.

"But we hope you'll at least consider it."

"Do you even know enough about what's going on to have an idea of how to fix it?" It wasn't that she really wanted to get into it, but curiosity gets the best of her. No one had really gotten into the nitty gritty of the problem, and if she was expected to make a decision soon, she needed all of the information she could get.

"All we know is that it's keeping the children awake. For the past month or so all of the children I've tried to visit haven't been fully asleep." At Tooth's response, March looks over to Sandy, who throws his hands in the air and creates a poof of sand that slowly falls to the floor. "And Sandy can't do anything about the teenagers because they're beyond his reach."

"And you don't know what's causing it?"

"Well…" Sandy frowns and looks away, and March can tell by the tension going through all of them that it's bad. Jack gestures to Sandy and sighs.

"We think it's nightmares." He says, and March's brow furrows in confusion.

"Well that's not so bad, right? I mean, it's just bad dreams."

"Not if the Boogeyman is behind it." Bunny says, and her mind wanders back several years, to the time when Hogs had felt the same darkness that had threatened to take over the world. It hadn't been their fight, so they had stayed out of it, but later word had spread like wildfire through the spirit world about how the Guardians had defeated the Boogeyman.

"I thought you took care of him." She mutters, and even though most of them nod, there still seems to be some apprehension.

"We assume that we did. I mean, he disappeared in that hole when his night mares descended on him." Jack says. "We all saw it."

"Well truth be told we thought we'd gotten rid of him in the dark ages too." Bunny points out, and they all smile wryly at the reminder.

"Sure, but we showed him what we can do together _now._"

"But you don't actually have proof that he's gone?" March asks, and this time no one answers, uncomfortable with what could be the truth; that they hadn't actually gotten rid of him for good. "Then what are you going to do?"

"We don't know for sure that it's Pitch." Tooth says, and March watches her flex her right hand. "After all, he had plenty of fear himself. I can't see him showing himself so quickly after last time." That doesn't exactly reassure her though, and March stays quiet as the theories continue to pour in, all of them against Pitch's return. And she couldn't very well blame them.

Being so powerful was bound to make you feel invincible, even though the idea of Pitch returning was sounding more and more likely. Still, whether or not it was him, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be in the middle of it. She'd never met the spirit, but there was just something about him that made her skin crawl. The longer she focuses on the idea of having to fight someone, especially the Boogeyman, her pulse rises in her ears and her paws begin to shake. She glances down at them and wills them to stop, taking measured breaths and closing her eyes for a moment.

When North joins in the conversation, which is just denial at this point, March is positive that she doesn't want to be a Guardian. Rather than being the frivolous and enjoyable situation they had believed, there was obviously a lot of responsibility involved, and taking on some of the most malevolent spirits out there was definitely not something she wanted to get involved in.

"The more you talk about this, the more I get the feeling that I'm not qualified for the job." March mumbles, and North turns to her.

"If that were the case, you wouldn't be here."

"I didn't think I was qualified either, and I ended up being the most important one in the group." Jack says.

"Oh, please." Tooth can't help but smirk at him, despite his words being true.

"That's all great, but I don't have any powers like that, alright? What am I supposed to do to protect the children? Stab someone with my pen?" She twirls it in her fingers mockingly, and then shakes her head. "No."

"You're a Pooka, aren't you?" Bunny asks, and she sighs. She remembers hearing that question so long ago, the first year of her rebirth when she had run into him. Back then it was asked with so much happiness and disbelief, but now it is merely factual and full of expectations.

"Not all of our kind is gifted. You find strength in your weapons, I find strength in my…" She pauses for a moment, and can feel her cheeks warm underneath her fur when she can't finish the sentence.

"Efficiency?" Tooth offers, and she gives her a smile of thanks.

"Right." She says, looking toward North. "Whether this problem is from the Boogeyman's hand or not, I can't help you. I'm sorry."

"Will you at least consider it?"

"I'll try. But to be completely honest, I don't think you need me." March shrugs. "I'm more suited to what I'm doing now, which I really need to get back to."

"Well, will you stay in touch?"

"Of course." _At least I'll try, _she thinks to herself, and then looks at Jack. "Would you mind taking me back the way we came?" He nods and reaches for the discarded snow globe to send her home.

"Why don't you just take your tunnels home?" It comes out of Bunny's mouth before he can stop it, but it's so strange, seeing a Pooka willing to travel by portal rather than their own means.

"I don't care for them." Is all March says before giving a small wave to everyone and hopping into the swirling lights. Bunny ignores the stares from the others, not wanting to hear their innermost thoughts.

"Are we done here? I still have plants to look after and rivers to check." He says, trying to keep his voice and expression passive.

"We're done for now. I will keep you informed of the children's states." North says, and turns toward the oversized globe to hide his smile.

"Perhaps March can work on tipping the balance of sunlight and darkness so the children can sleep longer." Tooth jokes, sending a ripple of chuckles through the room.

"Don't be silly. She's too busy keeping them stuck in school." Jack mutters, still sore about not being able to give more snow days.

"I still wonder why she was chosen."

"Well, if things continue as they're going, we should find out soon enough."

North frowns, noticing some of the lights disappearing, not quite as quickly for real alarm, but enough to show that whatever is causing the unrest in the teenagers may be affecting the younger kids as well. If they were going to do something, they needed to figure out what they were up against, soon.

xxRISExx

**Author's Note: **It may seem like the Guardians are unprepared and naïve, but think about it: if you'd put Pitch away so humiliatingly, would you think he came back for more _again?_ No. And I know March and Bunny haven't talked much yet. Just give it time. There will be a flashback of their first meeting in the next chapter. Review please!


	4. denial

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Enjoy!

Chapter 4:

As the blue crystal lowers back into the floor and Jack closes the portal behind their new prospective member, golden eyes narrow and a small snarl makes condensation grow on the skylight. That is the only evidence left behind as the unseen visitor backs away from the glass and takes off into the sky, hooves kicking wildly against the wind.

The centaur follows the magnetic pull of its master, leaving the arctic behind and plunging into the thickly wooded expanse of land that hides them all. It darts between the trees without care, knocking off the thinner branches as it goes. They fall to the ground before crumbling to dust, but the creature just ignores the death it spreads and continues running.

It rises high in the air before diving down, through the earth and further below, dodging the thick roots plunging beneath the ground. As it enters the dark crevice where the Boogeyman resides, its brothers make way for him as best they can in the cramped space.

"What did you see?"

The head centaur walks up to Pitch with a scowl but stops a few feet away, staring at the back of his head.

"_There is a new one." _The voice resonates through the cave even though the monster's mouth doesn't move. _"The Moon has chosen another."_

"Who is it this time?"

"_The March Hare." _Pitch instantly smiles and lets out a wry laugh. He pictures the newest member of their motley crew, seeing her terrified face many years younger, her failed attempts to escape. He laughs again and turns to face the centaur, who stands at attention with the controlled expression of a soldier.

"I'm not worried about _her._ What about the others? Do they suspect anything?"

"_They are aware of something evil happening. The Sandman and the Fairy in particular."_

"Do they suspect me?"

"_They mentioned the possibility, but do not believe you are strong enough to return."_

"I'm not." Pitch mutters, and the centaur tilts his head in confusion, so used to the Boogeyman's assurance in his abilities. The cloaked man frowns, and then glances around the cave at his army. "But _we _are."

He wasn't very surprised that the Guardians didn't think he would come back. But in all honesty he had been on his own the last time. His night mares had been mere illusions of fear. While they were useful in destroying the dreams of the children, they were not useful in the terms of battle. He hadn't put enough of himself in them.

These creatures were his own soul incarnated in the bodies of true predators.

_They think they've seen all I can do, _his thoughts are full of resentment as he walks stealthily through the unruly warriors. They stomp and snarl and growl, and Pitch considers that he should institute more boundaries for them. He had allowed the one into the open to spy on the Guardians, but with his absence came the misbehavior of the rest. He would have to make sure they remained in control, or he would once again be at the mercy of his enemies. _And now they think to use her against me. Fools._

He wonders if she will agree, if she will stand up against him again. It was unlikely. He knew who she was now, and doubted she would have the wherewithal to do anything but cower. And even if she did, he was prepared this time.

The centaurs' low sounds become louder and agitated, and Pitch lets out his own growl as he glides up to them.

"How am I supposed to prove myself to those coddlers if you can't even _control yourselves?"_ He grasps the uplifted arm of one and throws it to the side with enough strength to toss the centaur into the sides of the others. It knocks them out of their spat long enough to snarl at Pitch, who just returns the favor. "This is my only chance to take them out for good, and I will not let you ruin it for me."

Pitch frowns and tries to keep the desperation out of his voice even as the centaurs stop their fighting and avert their glowing eyes, their solid charcoal bodies becoming still. The last thing he needed was for them to think him weak as well.

The unfortunate thing about creating them to be harmonious with his soul was that they were completely in tune to his own emotions. If he showed any bit of weakness, they would know it, and with their malicious nature he didn't doubt they would turn on him if given the chance. _Just like the others, _his mind whispers to him.

He growls again and pushes away from the centaurs, melting back into the shadows. Out of their sight, he allows himself to close his eyes and feel the emotions that were begging to be let out; pain, incompetence, and most of all fear. Because he was still trying to convince himself that he could do this. Sure, he had managed to strengthen himself and his army far beyond his expectations, but there was still a chance of failure.

Unfortunately, the Moon had always been against him, and would make sure it wouldn't be an easy task to get rid of the Guardians once and for all.

Pitch rises from his curled in position, cursing himself for his weakness, and walks into the dim light, gaining the attention of the once again unruly creatures. Their solid bodies knock into the cave walls, making it shudder, and he glares at them for their carelessness.

"Enough." They pause at his voice and he is thankful for that small favor. "Find someone to terrorize, but don't let anyone see you." It was unlikely, but he didn't need them ruining the surprise. When he showed himself to the world, he wanted it to be on his own time.

xxRISExx

The second March's feet hit the chilled grass, they threaten to give out underneath her. The portal closes behind her, and she just walks away from it, her mind spinning._ What just happened? _Thankfully Jack has not followed her, but unfortunately it leaves her alone with her scattered thoughts.

"I don't want to be a Guardian." She mutters, considering how she could get out of it. She knew better than to ignore the offer. They were going to want an answer. But she wondered if there was even a way she _could _say no. It wasn't as if they chose her, the Moon did. Was there any way she could refuse?

But it went deeper than merely not wanting the responsibility of looking after the children. She didn't want to have to fight. March winces at the thought and glances up at the lowering sun.

As always, she uses her work as a distraction, taking out her notebook and scribbling random weather statistics down. _We need to make a decision soon. _

That thought doesn't exactly ease her nerves though, so she just continues to scribble, even doodling stick figures in different scenarios; playing in the snow, kids in school, some of the elves toddling around in the workshop. She gets lost in the scratching of her pen on the paper and before she knows it, her eyes are straining to see what she's drawn in the dimming light, the sun completely set now and the moon coming up to take its place.

She glares at it and stands up from her position on the ground, wincing at the stiffness in her muscles.

"You have an awful sense of humor." She mutters to the blue glow, and walks away from it in the direction of Hogs' home. If there was anyone who could get her mind off of recent events, it was her best friend and boss.

Of course, when she arrives, he doesn't leave the hole completely. But he raises most of his body out of the hole in the safety of the darkness and asks to see her notes. He opens it and scrolls through, and then stops and his eyes widen at her drawings.

"I was bored." March says, and he just laughs, continuing to flip through. She waits for him to finish amusing himself, glancing around the frozen scenery. It was covered in even more ice than the last time she had visited, and she has the feeling they will have to delay Spring, as annoying as it was. She opens her mouth and begins to say so, when she notices the serious look on Hog's face. He is staring at one of the pages in her notebook, his brow slightly furrowed. "What's wrong?"

He jumps and closes the notebook immediately, flipping to the earlier pages with her notes on the weather on them.

"Nothing. Let's see…" She wants to ask him what had caught his attention so readily but he seems so focused on their job now that it would be unproductive and downright rude. Instead, she waits for him to finish looking through the book and then closes it, setting it aside. "So what are you thinking?"

"I think at the rate we're going, it's going to take a while for all of this ice to melt and the ground to thaw. The flowers will have a hard time coming up if we begin the season too soon."

"I agree. We should delay it again." Hogs sighs. "I hate doing it."

"Me too, but even if I tell Frost to knock it off for a while, we'd still be behind. I doubt he'd even listen anyway."

"He never does. He makes our job so difficult. It must be nice having so much freedom and fun." March smiles at the hint of resentment in his tone. She knew he hated the stress of being the Groundhog. Once a year he had to show himself and disappoint at least half of the world no matter how they decided. "Oh, I dread that day with a passion. Do you think the Easter Bunny will be here?"

"Isn't he always?" It was a fact March tried to forget, but she tries to brush it off, taking her notebook back from him. It brings her mind back to the Guardians' proposal, if she could even call it that. She glances up at Hogs and knows he can see something in her eyes.

"What is it? You don't have to be here when I come out if you don't want to." Of course, he would think she was upset because she didn't like to be targeted for Bunny's anger. She liked to stay for the big reveal sometimes, but did try to get out of it when she could. But now she wonders if she should even say anything.

"It's not that. Um…" She can feel a headache blossoming and rubs her temple, knowing she wasn't going to be able to keep him out of the loop. "I was… asked to be a Guardian." By the look on Hogs' face, this was the last thing he expected.

"What?"

"Jack took me to the Pole and North said that the Moon chose me to join them." She says, but the Groundhog still stares at her in confusion. They both knew when Jack was chosen, and had assumed it was a onetime occurrence.

"Why?"

"Well, you were right. There _is _something going on."

"Oh, no." Now Hogs frowns and wrings his small paws together. "I knew it."

"The children aren't sleeping. As of now all we know is that nightmares are to blame. They don't think it's Pitch again but I'm not so convinced."

"And they asked you to join?" Hogs asks in an amused tone, making March smile. He knew better than anyone that she wasn't much of a people person. Along with confrontation, playing with others was one of her least favorite things. "So what did you say?"

"I said I'd think about it."

"You don't want to do it?"

"Of course not. They're basically asking me to go to war. I'm no fighter, Hogs."

"But-"

"No. I belong here with you, doing this." She gestures to her notebook with a stern look. "I'm not meant to be a Guardian."

"I'm not saying you should fight, or that you're not needed here. But… maybe it would be good for you, you know?" She stares at him and his expression turns into that of a father, worried and affectionate. "You don't like anyone, March."

"I do too."

"I mean other than me, or simple acquaintances with spirits you've met in passing. You're respectful to them, but you don't take the time to get to know them."

"I don't _have _the time to-"

"That's a lie. You just don't want to face the fact that you're afraid." Hogs' voice raises in slight anger and it shuts March up long enough for him to sigh. "You can't keep using your past as a reason to keep people at arm's length. I don't know what happened to you, and you don't know what happened. But whether you figure it out or not, you have to move on."

March averts her eyes to the ground and her jaw clenches shut. She had come to terms with the fact that her memory may never return. But to claim that she wasn't moving on was slightly insulting. Waking up in the middle of nowhere and finding out that during your decade long coma you've lost all of your family was bound to make someone a bit withdrawn. In her mind she had done pretty damn well with the circumstances she had been given and she didn't need Hogs acting like a therapist now, especially when he spent most of his life hiding out in a hole.

Still, she just stands and says that she'll see him later. He mumbles a goodbye and begins to go back down into his home. March sees him about to say something out of the corner of her eye and waits, but he just closes his mouth and shakes his head before crawling back underground. She stares at where he had been for a moment before walking away.

She tries to keep his words from bothering her, but they persist in her mind. As she leaves, she flips through her notebook lazily, intending to write down their final decision for later evaluation, and then her paw stops moving, her eyes widening as she catches sight of one of her doodles. It is at that moment she realizes what Hogs had been staring at when he had looked through the book.

Two figures are standing next to each other, their characteristics frighteningly familiar. Both are the same height, but one has lighter colored fur from their muzzle down their stomach, thicker around their neck. March raises a paw to her forehead over the small cream spot that had been there since birth, a stark contrast from the rest of her chestnut brown fur.

The other figure makes her frown deepen. They have darker markings in the shape of flowers on their arms and down their back, one centered on their forehead. But it's one little detail that makes gasp.

Both of the figures' paws are entwined.

xxRISExx

"So what do we do?"

"We wait for her to make up her mind. Meanwhile, we keep an eye out for whoever is messing with our kids." Tooth says, a determined fierceness entering her eyes. "I'll get some of my fairies on night watch for anything suspicious." Sandy nods and salutes her, implying that he would be just as vigilant. "Speaking of which, I'd better get going. Jack?" She glances over at the silver haired boy, who waves her off.

"I'll check with Jamie. Maybe he's been affected by it and can tell us something."

"I'll stay here and watch the lights for anything strange." North says, and Sandy and Tooth make a quick exit, getting back to their nightly duties. "Be careful Jack, just in case."

"I will." Jack nods and leaves the workshop through the open skylight, allowing the winds to guide him back home.

He does keep his guard up as he flies above the small town, even looking over his shoulder a few times. But every time he thinks there may be something behind him, there's nothing but wispy clouds and sunshine. Shaking his head, he forces his head back around and watches out for Jamie's house.

Knowing that he and his sister would be home from school for the weekend, Jack floats through Jamie's bedroom window. He glances around for the teenager, but when he's not there Jack allows himself to simply walk down the stairs into the living room. Even if their parents were home, they wouldn't see him, so he casually enters the living room and smiles at the sight of Jamie sitting on the couch playing video games.

"Hey, kid." He says, plopping down next to him. Jamie jumps in surprise but smiles at him before bringing his eyes back to the screen, his thumbs moving quickly over the controller.

"Hey, Jack. What's up?" To anyone else, he would sound completely normal. However, Jack's eyes narrow at the barely concealed weariness in his voice. There are also dark circles beneath Jamie's eyes. Jack doesn't even need to ask if he's been having trouble sleeping. The teenager's appearance says it all.

"Well since you're asking, how about you tell me what's going on with you not sleeping regularly?"

Jamie's fingers pause on the game controller just long enough for his character to run off the road and the other cars to speed past him, but then his mouth tightens and he shrugs.

"I'm fine. It's just school stress." Jack stares at him, not believing him for a minute, and then he catches sight of Sophie shaking her head from the kitchen. He raises a hand in a small wave before turning back to Jamie, this time with a determination that makes the brunette glare at him.

"You can cut the crap, Jamie. I know what's going on."

"You do?" Jamie's eyes widen, and then Jack has to backtrack.

"Well, not everything. But you're not the only one who's having trouble sleeping. It's nightmares, right?"

"Yeah. What about it?" He turns away again and begins a new game, this time trying to ignore the sudden chill that creeps over him. He didn't want to talk about it, especially with Sophie just in the next room. "Everyone gets nightmares every once in a while. It's just our healthy imaginations running wild."

"Mhmm." Jack mumbles, watching the graphics run across the screen. "Look, I'm not the only one who's noticed. Tooth and Sandy are having problems too, and we suspect it's not going to stop with you teenagers."

"You think there's some mean spirit to blame. What, like Pitch?" And there it is, the catch in his throat that always happens when he is forced to remember him. _"There is more than one way to snuff out a light…" _His silky voice echoes in his head, the sound of crashing glass and the enveloping darkness making him gasp slightly, tossing the controller onto the floor and running a hand through his hair as he always did when he was nervous. "You guys took care of him." Jamie isn't sure whether he's stating a fact or trying to reassure himself, but he keeps his eyes away from Jack's not wanting the wiser of the two to catch on to his anxiety.

"We're not sure yet, but we're trying to find out, and then we can find a way to stop them."

"It's not Pitch." Jamie mutters, and stares at the ground as the suffocating feeling of a hand on his throat rises within him, the snarling that had downright terrified him. Whatever was in his room that night, it wasn't Pitch. That monster was far worse than any scorned Boogeyman, that much was certain.

"Do you know anything about it, Jamie?" Jack tries to keep his tone from being too accusing, but he had the feeling the answer was yes, and he needed to know. Still, Jamie shakes his head and reaches for the controller again.

"No. Sorry." And that's all. Not even a glance before he's refocused on the television, clearly tuning Jack out. The winter sprite sighs and stands up, twirling his staff in his hand.

"Well, if you see or hear anything…" He lets the sentence hang, and begins to walk away before he catches a glimpse of Sophie staring at them. She instantly catches his eye and crooks a finger, beckoning Jack over. Curious, he obeys, and follows her into one of the corners of the kitchen, out of Jamie's sight.

"He's lying." She whispers, her green eyes darting over to her brother to make sure he's lost in his game. Jack nods in agreement and sighs.

"I know. What happened to that sweet kid that hung on my every word and shared everything?"

"He got stupid." Sophie mutters, and he laughs quietly. Then she frowns and Jack can tell there is something really wrong. "I heard what you said, that someone's targeting the teenagers. I don't know anything about that, but Jamie's… changed."

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't sleep anymore, you can see that much. But there's this aura around him that's just… negative. And he's been distant."

"To you?"

"And the others. They don't come over much anymore but-"

"What? Why?"

"I have no idea. He wouldn't tell me." Her blonde eyebrows knit together at that, and Jack can sense her frustration, along with the obvious fear that she feels for her brother and his friends. "I don't know if they are the same way, and I don't know if there's anything happening in the way of spirits. I just thought you should know since he won't say anything."

"Thanks, Sophie." Jack says sincerely, knowing that it was probably the most information he'd get. "So you haven't experienced anything?"

"No, nothing." She says, and he can see in her eyes that she's telling the truth. It confuses him even more, as the siblings are close in age, so she should have been targeted as well. But for now, all he can do is be thankful that she's been spared for now.

"Alright. Well, see ya around." Jack gives her a smile and exits through the kitchen window after shouting a goodbye to Jamie. Of course, he doesn't get a response, but he lets it roll off of him.

He had more things to worry about than a surly teenager.

xxRISExx

_"Look! There's no shadow!" A man grins and hoists the squirming Groundhog up for everyone to see. "Spring will be early this year!" Cheers and groans erupt from the crowd, the people trying to catch a glance at the creature before he is allowed to burrow back into his home. _

_March smiles as Hogs winks at her and disappears underneath the earth. _Good job, _he would have told her if he had the chance. Of course, he was used to doing the ritual for many many years without her, but he enjoyed having someone to share the burden and excitement with. As the people begin to leave the section of the woods and the Groundhog retires for the day, March turns to walk away. However, she lets out a scream when ironically, a shadow looms over her._

"_What do you mean, Spring is early?" Her eyes widen and she gasps, tripping over her large feet in her attempt to get away from the fuming Pooka in front of her. "Do you have _any _idea how much work it takes to bring Spring to the world on time, let alone _early?"_ She tries to say that yes, she does, as it was her job to know now, but nothing comes out, and the Easter Bunny just continues to rant about how difficult it would be for him._

_Finally, when he stops for air, she tries to stand as tall as possible, making them eye to eye. Her paws still tremble, and she's pretty sure he can tell she's afraid, but she still manages to shove her notebook in his face._

"_It's not so easy being in charge of the seasons as a whole, either. But I do it without whining!" Okay, so that wasn't true. Only being on duty for a few months, it was hard to get used to, and she was sure Hogs was tired of her already, but she wasn't going to deal with being yelled at by one of the Guardians she had heard about. Instead, she glares at him and tucks her notebook back into her belt, taking off as fast as she can._

Later she had allowed herself to feel the anxiety that had risen from seeing another of her own kind. Bunny hadn't found her again that day, most likely fretting in his Warren about how he was going to get all of his work done. Still, their first meeting had been less than cordial, and remained one of the most vivid memories of her new life.

March stares down at the drawing of her and Bunny, her mind reeling. She didn't remember drawing it, but there it was. What it meant, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. Her paws grip the page and begin to tear it, a small rip appearing in the center.

However, just as she gathers up the nerve to do it, her paws refuse to move, simply holding the page tightly enough to cause small creases in the paper. After several moments, she simply sighs and releases the page, closing the book.

xxRISExx

**Author's Note: **I hope you guys liked this longer chapter. A few more answers, a few more questions. I'm trying to focus more on the ROTG characters rather than the OC, as I've been advised in the past. At the same time, I want the growing romance to shine as well, so March will be more in the spotlight for a little while. There's more to her than it seems, just hang with me for a bit longer. Review please!


End file.
